Resigned. Can see us having a good few visits from the heavy hitters in all parties. Wonder who Labour will put up.

Hangus!!!!

Probably someone else who will achieve very very little and blame it on the Tories 3 or 4 years later I imagine. What did Labour do for Hartlepool when they were in power? I’m a Labour voter by the way but right now I wouldn’t.

The voters in Hartlepool need to think about this. The result will have no effect on the current big scheme of things, so they might consider supporting a different party to see if that might alter the years of neglect by both of the main parties. Personally I would suggest they go for the Tories whilst making it quite clear that they expect the Tories to pay a bit more attention to the town and this is their chance, their one and only chance.
They can always revert to type at the next general election.
You never know it just might work.
As well as that it would shake the Labour Party from their usual expectations of Hartlepool's loyalty.
Nothing to lose.

The Labour Party has done nothing for Hartlepool, I hope they give someone else a go, can it be any worse?

Deeply shocked. And you a lifelong Socialist.





Oh, hang on, that was Horden.

Seriously though it is a potential win win. If the Town vote Tory the carrot is for the Tories to retain the seat and it will also shake Labour to it's core. The only party at the moment that can help the Town is the Tories, so give them a chance and then they are under pressure to deliver.

Think it will be tight but with brexit out of the way the picture changes. But Hill got in as the anti EU vote was split between the Tories and Brexit party. Labour need an effective compaigner or big name. Not sure who the tories will put up. It's going to be some scrap.

You can also expect every minor party to put forward candidates for publicity and self promotion reasons.The ballot paper will be long. I might stand as a monkey but that would be silly!

Oh aye they'll all be at it but at least the Town will be the centre of attention, instead of one of the forgotten.

Wonder if the SNP could put a candidate up, that would be a first.

The Tory candidate will be a generic, upper class middle aged man, who has never lived in Hartlepool or even the North East. He'll claim to care about "leveling up the North". But he won't know Seaton Delaval from Seaton Carew! Expect him to have sky high travel expenses, all while he spends his days behind a desk in Harrogate.

The Labour candidate will be a generic, upper middle class middle aged man, who has never lived in Hartlepool but may of once had a family holiday in Whitby (Whitby is just a walk from Hartlepool right?). He'll claim to be a socialist, but will abstain on votes that would actually help disadvantaged people because "Keir told me to".

Two sides of the same arse. Never thought I'd ever say that.

Farage will probably put his hat in the ring as the Independent Do Da representative.

I'd imagine if Farage is interested he'd just bring in Richard Tice again.

No doubt the Monster raving loony party will make a show.

actually if they did they might live closer to hartlepool than those from the two major partys candidates will.

It'll be the old story of Labour in Hartlepool being able to put a donkey up in a red rosette and they often do.

Farage is no longer a serving politician. Tice is the head of the Reform party.

The Tories will win easily. They've got pork barrel politics down to a fine art with the other red wall seats they won 15 months ago. They'd have won then in Hartlepool too if UKIP hadn't split the pro-Brexit vote, just about the only place in the country where that happened.

See the constituency Labour party was complaining today that under the Tories all the money in the area is going to the Boro and Stockton. Nowt like doing the Tories' job for them! And you'd think no-one had told them that the Port of Hartlepool is in the Freeport zone.

that might have been the case with the older end but plenty of the younger generation with families owning their own houses have a different outlook to their parents and grandparents. even if they do not fancy the tories the opposition to them at the moment just does not exist. might as well vote for the devil you know.

The tories will promise the earth to get their hands on the town but if they do win they will have to deliver before the next election due in May 2024.
All the press focus on the town should get the turnout up.
Think though that its going to be really tight but my thoughts is that Labour will just make it. However Coral make tories favourite at 1-2 on and labour 13-8 against.
At the last election i got 3-1 on labour a month or so before the election.......may be worth a punt.

Odd have change to 10/11 for both labour and tories.
Coral are quoting 50/1 on "Northern Independence Party".......new one on me.

Ours is the first seat they’ve went for.

richard tice is standing again for his new party. anyone know if labour or the tories have announced theres yet. think they,ll both be fielding people that will not put the electors off them for a start. doubt a right wing tory or left wing labour candidate will be announced.

Not heard anything as yet.

Laura Pidcock, former NW Durham MP has been mentioned for Labour. Corbyn supporting feminist, can’t imagine she will be successful.

Apparently Labour applications close at 5pm tonight. Should know by Saturday.

Let's be honest nobody gives a shit about Hartlepool, doesn't matter who we get as MP, won't make a blind bit of difference. An extra seat in Parliament for whoever wins that's all it amounts to. Nothing here of interest for any of the parties.

you mean apart from being the first big test for the main parties since the virus. that gives it extra importance greater than one extra seat.

Samantha Lee has said she wants to go for it.

"that wee Jimmy Krankie woman" in the running?

Och aye..

She might be looking for a new job shortly.

Dr Paul Williams for Labour.........should be a strong candidate.

Apparently objections are emerging already, from feminists and brexiteers.
His arduous love of the EU allegedly cost him his Stockton seat in the last election.
Controversial methinks.
Good luck to him, I think he'll need it.

Ben Houchen with Teeside International airport new sponsors on the O/S..

its a relly good sponser that thx raj

One thing where Darlo wipes the floor with us, is they’re a marginal constituency who play the politicians for what they can get. I’m a floating voter and it never hurts to keep voting the whatever party in and out. Sticking with the same old tired party of any hue means you can be ignored by the other party’s and ignored by your own, because your votes are in the bank.

Them naughty tories are having a field day with his twitter account mr bluestreak..

But dont the electorate like someone who is a bit of a lad?
Hartlepool is hardly a PC town.

So we have 16 candidates stand in the Hartlepool By- Election.
David Bettney - Social Democratic Party
Nick "The Incredible Flying Brick" Delves - The Official Monster Raving Looney Party
Hilton Dawson - The North East Party
Gemma Evans - Women's Equality Party
Rachel Featherstone - The Green Party
Adam Gaines - Independent
Andrew Hagon - Liberal Democrats
Steve Jack - Freedom Alliance. No Lockdowns. No Curfews.
Chris Killick -
Sam Lee - Independent
Claire Martin - Heritage Party
Jill Mortimer - Conservative Party
John Prescott - Reform UK
Thelma Walker - Independent
W. Ralph Ward-Jackson - Independent
Paul Williams - Labour Party

Anyone on the Bunker would like to stand?

do they still have to pay a deposit nowadays that they,ll lose if they get less than a certain percentage of votes. if they value money that much they can send some to me for a new headlining on my peugeot 405 estate that came away yesterday. 300 quid please lads and lasses.

£500. If you get more than 5% of vote you get it back.

Is this feller an actual descendant of the man who founded West Hartlepool 200 years ago or is his first name Wannabe?

Yes I think he is a distant relative.

16 candidates...regardless of what you think of them, it shows discontent with the politicians (on right and left) has never been higher.

What about John Prescott ? Is he the same bloke who chinned that egg thrower in Wales 20 years ago ?? he had a decent short jab on him if i remember..

I can't remember meeting anybody with the name Hilton.

this type of thing always seem to happen in by elections though. fringe parties able to concentrate all their efforts in one place and independents with money to burn getting their few days of fame to add something on their CV.

I see Tony Blair's sporting a Mullet haircut now.Wtf that all about??